To Irish Catholics

Peace be with you.

Pope rebukes Irish bishops, the headline in the Catholic World Report magazine read. Does that make you angry, my Irish friends? It does me. But then, perhaps because I am so old, I can pause and take control of myself, and remember. When I am angry I can’t remember things well, and I certainly cannot reflect on them. And this is not a time for anger; it is a time for serious reflection.

This is a time of trial; have you forgotten what that means? Were your parents and priests so neglectful in your education that they never taught you the words of Jesus on the matter? Were you so “busy” that you never took time to read His words, or those of his saints? Now is a time of trial, but it is not the first time, nor will it be the last. He showed us how to act in a time of trial, and said we would see more.

When he prayed, drops of blood flowed from his whole body … What is this blood streaming from his whole body but the martyrdom of the whole Church? … The body of Christ must suffer anguish until the end of time. …
When day was fading into evening, the Lord laid down his life on the cross, to take it up again; he did not lose his life against his will. Here, too, WE are symbolized. What part of him hung on the cross if not the part he had received from us? … Christ, nailing our weakness to the cross.
- From a commentary on the psalms, by Saint Augustine, bishop.

If you wish to follow me, you must take up your cross.

The sins of His Church are nothing new; they were there at the beginning; they are here with us now. But this is not a thing for us to lose heart over. Remember: I will be with you until the end of time, and He chastises those whom He loves.

Augustine fought Arianism in his day, when three-fourths of the bishops of the Church went astray. Did you forget that, my Irish brothers? Would you leave the Church now because it contains sinners? Augustine did not. If this were a just thing to do, then perhaps no one should have followed Jesus after the sins of His cardinal, Judas. If we should leave in disgust because of the failures of some Church leaders, then perhaps we should all have followed Luther or Henry VIII, when they pointed to priests and bishops and said: Sinners!

Have you forgotten, my Irish friends, about those others cried “sinner,” --- and then He began to write in the sand, and one by one they dropped their stones and walked away. Oh yes, there are sinners within the Church, and among its leaders. Indeed there are great sinners: Woe to he who would lead my flock astray. Great sinners, indeed. But we are not the ones who should cast the first stone, because we promised that we wouldn’t:

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation …
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live forever and ever.

Although I address this to Irish Catholics, you are not alone. Here in America I remember the sins of my forefathers, who hung signs for employment, but “No Irish Catholics need apply.” I read of and pray for the millions of children killed through abortion each year in this country, many, many by Catholics. If we are to cast stones at sinners, my Irish brothers, my goodness, just where shall we begin … and, sadly, where we would find enough stones?

No it is not for us to judge, but neither is it for us to grieve. Oh, we grieve over sin, even as the Father does, but remember what He did for us, despite our sins. Don’t grieve, my Irish friends, because this is a time of trial. Rejoice, because this is also a time of cleansing. Many Catholics led easy lives in the past, but blessed are the martyrs. Today, you, we, are martyrs. We are suffering, and we may suffer more, but he did not come to bring us ease of living, he came to bring us the cross.

And in this time between Easter and Pentecost, remember how Jesus spent this time. It was a time of encouragement. He was risen! The fear and confusion of the cross must be overcome, and his apostles must go forward and preach his words. He said Peace be with you. He gave them joy, and courage. But all the while they saw him, they could see the holes in his hands. The cross didn’t go away, but it was not to be feared. The cross was a good thing then, it became the Church’s symbol. It is a good thing now.

Peace be with you, my brothers in Christ. Peace be with you.